This invention relates to a target which is deployed over a conventional garage door opening for use in practicing propelling and aiming sport projectiles. The target is useful for practicing sports or games such as baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, archery and similar sports which involve skillfully propelling a projectile, such as a ball or a puck, or an arrow, etc. to a particular place by the player. The practice target must be of substantial size, to be useful for the purpose of practicing propelling the game object or projectile and, must be easily transportable, easily stored when not in use and easily deployed when used or out of use.
An example of a suitable type of target, is illustrated and described in published application U.S. 2002/0151387-A1 of Scott C. Henson, published Oct. 17, 2002. That publication concerns a target in the form of a large sheet which is attached, along its upper edge and its side edges, to the frame of a garage door opening. An image, as for example, a picture of a hockey player or baseball player, is imprinted upon or attached to the sheet. The sheet may have target areas in the form of holes through which the projectiles pass. The holes may be provided with receptacles or pockets for receiving and temporarily holding projectiles that pass through the holes. The sheet may be temporarily deployed over the garage door opening for use and then disconnected and folded when not in use.
Other substantial size targets for practice purposes are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,334, issued Nov. 30, 1999 to Patrick E. McNamara for a practice backdrop and target. This patent illustrates a target sheet suspended from an overhead board or beam and rigged with cords along its sides which, when pulled, will raise the sheet out of the way or, alternatively, when manipulated will lower the sheet, similar to raising and lowering a window blind. The board or beam from which the sheet is suspended may be attached to the ceiling inside an automobile garage or other building.
A target sheet secured within a portable frame, and having target holes with receptacles or pockets for receiving a projectile that passes through the holes, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,679, issued Aug. 10, 1999 to Joseph W. Strain et al. for a bounce-back sports apparatus.
The foregoing targets which comprise large, flexible sheets, are difficult to deploy. For example, hanging a large, flexible sheet from an overhead beam or from the header of the frame of a garage door, requires considerable time and effort. Thus, arranging the target for use would be beyond the ability of children or many adults.
Since many sports require practice to develop the skills needed for propelling the sport projectile or object to particular locations, such as into a goal or to a person receiving the projectile, a simplified, easily deployed target would be useful for practicing aiming the projectile. Yet, because of the size of the target that is needed, a simplified system is desirable so that the target may be deployed and removed easily and within a short period of time, even by a child or unskilled adult.
Thus, the invention herein is concerned with providing a target and target deploying system which can easily and rapidly be deployed without tools, with virtually no skill, by almost anyone, and particularly for use by young children or adolescents who would otherwise be unable to deploy such a target.